We never thought we’d say this, but we’re all in for a visit to “Suplex City.”
The sole reason why we’re risking our lives to take a trip to Brock Lesnar’s personal playground is because we want WWE 2K17. From the looks of things, it seems like Yuke’s and Visual Concepts are prepared to make this entry miles better than its predecessor. Adjustments are being made to the game’s overall mechanics, plus fan requested enhancements and the return of the series’ best elements are making their in. And of course, we’re going to be treated to a roster full of wrestling’s brightest upstarts and legendary Hall of Famers.
Now that all the important info surrounding this sequel is out, let’s break it all down with this preview guide for WWE 2K17.
1. The Roster is Jam Packed With Current Superstars, Female Athletes and Legends
It’s pretty amazing to see just how many returning faces and newcomers are making their way onto this sequel’s roster. We’ll get the chance to play as current Superstars/Women, NXT talent and legends from past wrestling feds. The video above will show you every member of the game’s playable roster, plus you should make sure to check out the list below to see who’s new to the WWE 2K franchise:
– Aiden English
– AJ Styles
– Alexa Bliss
– Apollo Crews
– Asuka
– Bayley
– Becky Lynch
– Braun Strowman
– Bubba Ray Dudley
– Buddy Murphy
– Carmella
– Chad Gable
– Charlotte
– Dana Brooke
– Dash Wilder
– D-Von Dudley
– Goldberg
– Jason Jordan
– Nia Jax
– Sasha Banks
– Scott Dawson
– Shinsuke Nakamura
– Simon Gotch
– Wesley Blake
Brock Lesnar may be this year’s cover star, but the man who managed to defeat him at WrestleMania 20 is the big featured DLC Superstar. Pre-ordering any version of WWE 2K17 means you’ll get to play as two versions of Goldberg: his WCW incarnation where he was adorned in black tights and his WWE rendition where he wore black & white short tights. Two WCW arenas also come with playable versions of Goldberg: Monday Nitro and Halloween Havoc.
2. Changes are Being Made to Better the Finer Aspects of WWE 2K’s Legacy Mechanics
It’s evident that WWE 2K17 is getting the proper enhancements fans have requested for a long time. You can finally take your fights back into the audience and brawl all the way into backstage arenas. Pulling off submissions is a much easier task thanks to the offering of another option to cause tap-outs; this secondary submission system is similar to the “Breaking Point” mechanic featured in past series entries. Mashing buttons to get the submission victory can be accomplished once again.
During Ladder Matches, the ladder gets easier to set up now that it can only be placed in five areas within the ring: in front of each set of ropes and right in the center of the ring. What’s even cooler is the fact that you can set set a ladder up as a bridge between the apron and the crowd barrier.
The new Roll-Out system helps make multi-man matches less of a chore to win. After taking a big amount of damage during these bouts, you’ll be forced to leave the ring and recover. This helps lessen the rate of pins being interrupted since wrestlers can now become too tired to do so. If you choose to fully rest, your chosen Superstar will get a temporary boost when they finally hop back into the ring.
Taunts actually matter now; certain taunts grants its users all types of bonuses, such as a quick damage boost. Chain Wrestling occurs when two players grapple simultaneously, but it no longer just happens at the start of a match. And finally, big Major Reversals give you a boost in strength and also locks out your opponent’s ability to perform reversals for a while. Make sure you check out the video posted above to see what’s in store for this year’s Creation Suite.
MyCareer is getting some much needed enhancements and alterations. Your custom Superstar will once again begin their WWE journey at the Performance Center. If you perform above Matt Bloom’s expectations during your early start in NXT, he’ll give you the choice to go straight to the main roster. You’ll be asked to remain in NXT if you’re still a bit green and unprepared for the big time.
Pulling off promos that will either bring the crowd closer to you or make them less of a fan will be introduced through the new “Promo Engine” feature. You can actually fight to win two championships this time around, too. Your Superstar can now attain VC (“Virtual Currency”) through the in-game sale of your custom merchandise. And last but not least, Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar can either be your biggest allies or worst enemies depending on how you respond to them during your ascent to the top. The trailer posted above will give you a visual tour of WWE 2K17’s MyCareer. And for an explanation of this entry’s Universe Mode, check out the following blog link.
3. This Year’s Soundtrack Has Been Curated by None Other Than Sean “Diddy” Combs a.k.a. Puff Daddy
Last year, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin treated fans to his personal playlist of rock and rap tracks. This year, Bad Boy Entertainment’s Puff Daddy has signed on to curate the soundtrack. The video posted above provides some commentary from Puffy on his reasoning behind the songs he selected for the game. The entire track listing he decided to grace fans’ ears with while they scroll through menus can be read below:
– Action Bronson & Joey Bada$$ (feat. Rico Love): “What About The Rest Of Us”
– Anderson .Paak: “Come Down”
– Andy Black: “We Don’t Have To Dance”
– Axwell Λ Ingrosso: “This Time”
– Black Sabbath: “Paranoid”
– Bring Me The Horizon: “Run”
– FIDLAR: “Drone”
– French Montana (feat. Kodak Black): “Lockjaw”
– iSHi (feat. French Montana, Wale, & Raekwon): We Run”
– P. Diddy, Black Rob & Mark Curry: “Bad Boy For Life”
– Travis Barker & Yelawolf: “Out of Control”
– Twenty One Pilots: “Ride”
– Yellow Claw (feat. Lil Eddie): “We Made It”
4. The Season Pass Comes With a Treasure Trove of DLC for Wrestling Fanatics
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WWE 2K17’s Season Pass looks and sounds like it’s an essential part of the game’s full content offering. Nabbing this deal means you’ll gain access to future content, such as more playable Superstars, Hall of Fame Showcase bouts, old arenas and MyPlayer boosts. The official description of what the Season Pass entails can be read in full below:
1. Accelerator
– Players will gain access to all unlockable content available at launch in the game’s VC Purchasable section (excluding downloadable content)
– Players can also decide the overall rankings and attribute levels for all playable characters throughout the life of the product2. Future Stars Pack
– Playable WWE and NXT Superstars: Austin Aries, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Mojo Rawley and Tye Dillinger
3. Hall of Fame Showcase
– Playable matches include: Cactus Jack and Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael “PS” Hayes) (WCW Saturday Night 1992)
– The Fabulous Freebirds (Buddy Roberts and Michael “PS” Hayes) vs. Kerry and Kevin Von Erich (WCCW 1986)
– Ivory vs. Jacqueline (SmackDown 2000)
– Sting (Gold & Black Tights) vs. Ric Flair (Clash of Champions 1988)
– Sting (n.W.o. Wolfpac ring gear) vs. Bret Hart (WCW Halloween Havoc 1998)
– Papa Shango vs. The Godfather (Dream Match)
– Big Boss Man (with Albert) vs. The Big Show (Armageddon 1999)4. Legends Pack
– Playable WWE Legends: Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Eddie Guerrero, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, Sycho Sid and Tatanka
5. MyPlayer Kick Start (PS4 and Xbox One Exclusive)
– Players will gain access to unlock and boost created Superstar ratings and attributes made available at launch as part of the game’s MyCareer mode
– Players can also unlock all clothing made available at launch that provides attribute boosts in MyCareer6. New Moves Pack
– Explore a wide variety of new in-game moves, including the Swingout Neckbreaker (made popular by current WWE Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte); the Elbro Drop (made popular by WWE Superstar Zack Ryder); the Face Wash Combo (made popular by NXT Superstar Samoa Joe; and the TJP Clutch (made popular by current WWE Cruiserweight Champion T.J. Perkins)
7. NXT Enhancement Pack (PS4 and Xbox One Exclusive; Comes Separate From the Season Pass)
– Playable NXT Superstars: Apollo Crews, Nia Jax and Shinsuke Nakamura
– Players will earn a 50 percent boost in points while competing at NXT during MyCareer8. NXT Legacy Pack (PS3 and Xbox 360 Exclusive; Comes Separate From the Season Pass)
– Playable NXT Superstars: Apollo Crews, Nia Jax and Shinsuke Nakamura
Buy the Season Pass for WWE 2K17 here.
5. WWE 2K17 Will Be Available in Three Different Incarnations
As we mentioned beforehand, putting your money down on a pre-order for WWE 2K17’s regular edition gets you access to two versions of Goldberg plus two WCW arenas. The Digital Deluxe Edition provides its users with the following bonus items:
– a digital copy of WWE 2K17
– the Season Pass and all future DLC
– the MyPlayer Kick Start
– two playable incarnations of Goldberg
– two WCW arenas
– an exclusive theme that’s only available for PS4 owners
– the NXT Legacy Pack (only available for PS3/Xbox 360 owners)
The biggest and best edition of the game comes in the form of the “NXT Edition.” This fan service heavy edition comes with special boxed packaging, a physical copy of the game, the NXT Enhancement Pack, an exclusive “Canvas2Canvas” lithograph autographed by NXT Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura, an 8-inch “Demon” Finn Balor figure, an exclusive Topps NXT TakeOver: London Mat Relics card and the full Goldberg Pre-Order Pack. The trailer posted above will show you each bit of content that comes with the NXT Edition.
Buy the Digital Deluxe Edition of WWE 2K17 here.
Buy the NXT Edition of WWE 2K17 here.